springer



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LoRm CJSPRINGER, OFDARLINGTON, INDIAN TERRITORY.

LADDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 349,370, datedSeptember 21, 1886.

Application filed May 11, 1856.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it-known that I, LORIN G. SPRINGER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Darlington, in the county of Upper Arkansas, IndianTerritory, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Ladders, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention consists in an improved extensible ladder, which possessesgreat advantage in the point of convenience in handling and transportingit from place to place, as will be hereinafter fully described andclaimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective viewof my improved extensible ladder, showing the same partly extended. Fig.2 is a similar view showing the ladder extended to its full length. Fig.3 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on line as m, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 isa similar view taken 011 line y y, Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is across-sectional view taken on line 2 2, Fig. 3.

The same letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

Referring to the several parts by letter, A represents the upperhalf-ladder or section, and B the lower half-ladder or section, whichtogether form my improved extensible ladder; and each of these sectionsmay be from ten to twenty feet in length, making the complete ladder,when extended, .twenty to forty feet in length, as may be desired. Thelower ends of the side pieces of the lower ladder are shod with metal,as shown at O O, to prevent the ladder from slipping, and to the upperends of the side pieces of the lower ladder are secured the metalguide-pieces D D, the. free ends of which are bent around the loweredges of the upper ladder, A, as clearly'shown in the crosssectionalview, Fig. 5, of the drawings, the 'said lower edges sliding in theseguides; and the lower ends of the side pieces of the upper ladder havesecured to them similar metal guide-pieces, E E, the free bent ends ofwhich inclose the upper edges of the side pieces of the lower ladder, asshown; and it will be seen that by means of these guide-pieces the twosections of my extensible ladder are held firmly together, while at thesame time they are permitted to slide readily in extending and closingthe ladder.

In the upper end of the upper ladder are journaled, preferably on thetop round of the Serial No. 201,853. (No model.)

same, as shown, two friction-wheels, F F, which are made of gum or othersuitable wood which is not liable to split, and these wheels should befrom one to two inches thick and large enough in diameter to carry thenpperend of the ladder clear of the siding of a house and 'of sufficicntdiameter to pass or roll easily over the inequalities of the sidingitself. I use wooden friction-wheels instead of metal, as the metalwould be more liable to slip or scar the surface of the siding.

Near the lower end of the lower ladder, within convenient reach of a manstanding on the ground, is journaled between the side pieces a Windlass,G, which I prefer to make of iron, and which is provided at one end withan operating-handle, H, and has formed through it near each of its endsan aperture, I, and through these apertures pass the lower ends of thehoisting-ropes, J J, which are thus secured to the Windlass to preventthem from slipping, and these ropes pass up to the upper ends of theside pieces of the lower ladder over groovepulleys K K, which are journaled in bearings L L on the inner sides of the upper ends of theside pieces of the lower ladder, and then extend down and have what Iwill denominate their upper ends firmly secured to the lowermost roundof the upper ladder, and it will be seen that by turning the Windlass bymeans of its operating -handle the lower portions of the hoisting-ropeswill be wound upon the windlass and thereby raise the upper ladder,which may be thus raised to any requisite height, or until the ladder isfully extended.

In order to secure the upper ladder in its adjusted position,I employthe following automatic mechanism: The second round, N, from the top ofthe lower ladder is made of metal or very tough wood, and is journaledin the side by spiral springs O 0, one end of each spring being securedto the side piece of the ladder, while its other end is secured to theround itself or the base portion of the hook on its side of the round,these springs being so arranged as to normally hold the hooks M out atright angles to the side pieces of the lower ladder, between the sidepieces of the upper ladder, the hooks M being of such a length that whenstanding out at right angles the upwardlycurved hooks at their free endswill extend beneath the rounds of the upper ladder, and by thisarrangement, no matter at what point the upper ladder is raised, one ofits rounds will be caught by the upwardlycurved ends of these hooks M,and the ladder held firmly and safely in its extended position. One endof the round N is extended through the side piece of the lower ladder,and has a short rigid arm to the free end of which is secured the upperend of a cord, 0, which extends down to the ground, and by drawing uponthis cord the hooks M M can be swung back out of their operativeposition when. the ladder is being raised or lowered, and the lower endof the cord is formed with a loop to adapt it to be caught on a pin, 1,on the side of the lower ladder, so that the cord may be thus caught andheld to hold the hooks out of operative position, and enable theoperator to use both hands in raising or lowering the upperhulder. Acord, Q, may be fastened at its upper end to the lower end of the upperladder, and by means of this cord the operator can readily draw theupper ladder down, when it is desired to lower the same, although as arule the weight of the upper ladder will serve to lower it when thehooks llI have been drawn back out of operath'c position.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction, operation, and advantages ofmyimproved extensible ladder will be readily understood. It will be seenthat it is strong and simple in construction, and is exceedinglyconvenient, especially where one man has to carry and handle it, as itis very difficult for one man to handle a ladder more th'airsixteen oreighteen feet in length, while an extensible ladder of from twenty toforty feet in length when extended can be readily and easily handled byone man. It will be further observed that when the hooks are ongagedwith the upper ladder they relieve the upper guides of a greater portionof the strain, and the more weight or strain that is exerted on theupper ladder the firmer the hooks eugage and draw the contiguous ends ofthe ladder together.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination, with the lower ladder having the guide-pieces at itsupper end and the round journaled near the said upper end, and havingthe hooks rigidly secured to it, the coiled springs, arranged asdescribed, and the arm secured to the outer end of the said round andhaving the operating-cord, of the upper ladder having the guide-piecesat its lower end, and means, substantially as de' scribed, for raisingand lowering the upper ladder.

2. The combination, with the lower ladder having the guide-pieces at itsupper end and the round journaled near the said upper end, and havingthe hooks rigidly secured to it, the coiled springs, arranged asdescribed, and the arm secured to the outer end of the said round andhaving the operating-cord, of the upper ladder having the guide-piecesat its lower end, and having the anti-friction rollers journaled at itsupper end, as described, and means, substantially as described, forraising and lowering the upper ladder.

3. The combination of the lower ladder having the guide-pieces at itsupper end and the round journaled near the said upper end, and havingthe hooks rigidly secured to it, the coiled spring, arranged asdescribed, and the arm secured to the outer end of the said round andhaving the operating-cord, the u pperladder having the guide-pieces atits lower end, and having the anti-friction rollers journaled at itsupper end, as described, the Windlass journaled in the lower portion ofthe ladder and having the transverse apertures and the operating-handle,the grooved rollers journaled in bearings at the inner upper end of 0the lower ladder, and the ropes secured at their lower ends through theapertures of the Windlass, passing up over the said grooved rollers, andsecured at their upper ends to the lower portion of the upper ladder.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

LORIN O. SPRINGER.

\Vitnesses:

G. D. WiLLiAMs, WM. 1). I-Iononrss.

